


change look's good on you.

by ViazBell



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Character Study, Gen, Growing Up, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Koizumi Mahiru/Saionji Hiyoko, Other, School Reunion, vent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:09:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27915052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViazBell/pseuds/ViazBell
Summary: It's the night of their high school reunion, so Hiyoko decides to put on her big girl pants.(or, the character growth we could've had if kodaka wasn't a coward.)
Relationships: Koizumi Mahiru/Saionji Hiyoko, Mioda Ibuki & Saionji Hiyoko
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	change look's good on you.

Since high school, Hiyoko's grown. She grew into new kimonos, the weight added to her chest. She rocked new sandals, now at the height of 5"6, then later chunky doc martens and platform boots (Ibuki's influence.) She fell in and out of relationships and love, in and out of styles and old vices.

_"Hiyoko. This- this attitude is sickening. It just can't-_ we _can't work if you act this way. I'm sorry."_

She's grown past dreamy red heads and rolling squashed ant heads between dainty fingers just to feel something.

Ibuki says she's lived a little. Fuyuhiko said she's "chilled the fuck out", and that was the fondest she's ever heard his voice.

It started with seeing her father more. Reconnecting.

Well, it actually started with breaking up with Mahiru and confronting her faults first. Being yanked painfully by the head and seeing all the fractures in the mirror of her shitty personality. She was angry; she cried. She was heartbroken-- her first love broke up with her! Her best friend! She tore the pictures tacked to her wall apart, ripped teddy bears won on dates. She deleted contacts and refused to bathe for days on end, huddled inside her tiny dorm room on the floor. Music carried her through most of the initial heart break-- the classics she was raised on, then, later, a single from Ibuki which turned into the rabbit hole that was heavy metal.

Then she called him. Being in Hope's Peak alloted her more freedom than being at home with grandma. With it, it had its perks.

"....Hello, dad? It's me, Hiyoko."

And though it's been years, his warm voice was just as she'd remembered; it trickled in her ears, down to the roots of her soul and soothed wounds left to rot.

With his coaxing, she got help. Therapy. She felt crazy the first time she went to a session, yet kept coming back. Her therapist was witty, and didn't pull their punches. Tongue even sharper than her's, quick to correct shitty behavioral patterns, and faster still to pull her into a hug whenever it all got too much. That year, Junior year, she stopped speaking to Mikan less. Started experimenting in fashion and styles of dance. She joined a club outside of school, photography because her sappy heart didn't yet know how to let go.

So now, she stands outside of Hope Peak's doors at the ripe age of 27. She goes by Hiyoko first, rather than Saionji, and hasn't spoken to her grandma in months. She's openly bi and likes baking. Her anger management sticker passed the 90 day mark just over a year ago; her life is trending upwards, maybe.

A brown haired man was looking at her in confusion. He looked familiar, intense olive eyes and all. "Hey, Miss? I think you might be lost. You see, this event is-"

"The 77th Class reunion, yeah? That's what I'm here for." Hiyoko got out her invitation ticket from her purse. At the man's raised eyebrow, she added, "Hiyoko Saionji. It's been a while, Hajime. Hope you've been doing well."

His eyebrows shot up. "Y-yes, of course. Good to see you too, Hiyoko. I... I hardly recognized you." His tone was apologetic, bashful. She remembered how guarded he used to be whenever he was dragged into their class, how uncertain. The boy already had creases on his forehead at 17, a bunched mess of anxiety and insecurity. An easy target. She looked him up and down, eyeing his relaxed posture.

"I hardly blame you. You've changed yourself," she gave a gentle tap on his shoulder, "Confidence is a good look on you."

He was slack faced, eyes wide.

Hiyoko couldn't help her laugh. "I'm assuming you're a plus one? Hope I get to meet the lucky person inside."

"Sure," Hajime said weakly. The awe in his voice kind of stung-- was she really that much of a jerk? Mm. She shrugged, probably.

"You should pick your jaw up off the floor. It's rude to stare," she said, and left him to sputter in the empty hall. She had a party to get to.... to find, then get to. It'd better be worth it, with all the pestering Ibuki had given her.

\--

Hiyoko didn't know who actually organized the event. She only knew that high school reunion's in Hope's Peak were infrequent and depended largely on how many people in the class actually wanted to go. At the last minute, Hiyoko added her signature to attend. Again, Ibuki.

For a reunion between former Ultimates, it was surprisingly normal. Drinks, awkward icebreakers, and tiny appetizers on platters. TeruTeru took one look at them and screamed, yelling about how they were "blasphemous! A total disgrace of an hors d'oeuvre" and took to running to the kitchen and cooking up a "proper meal." Akane certainly wasn't complaining, still thinking with her stomach first, and neither was she.

It went surprisingly well. Some of her classmates were just as shocked as Hajime (who she later found came with Nagito, though she can't tell if they're together or together-together). Others were proud. Mahiru especially.

"You've changed." Her smile was fond, her freckles just as pretty as she'd remembered. Her first love, and her heart swooped in recognition.

"Yeah. I took your advice, and decided I liked not stepping on flowers for fun." Making Mahiru laugh was still second nature, or maybe the redhead had as terrible a sense of humor now as she did in high school. Either way, her heart ached all the same as Mahiru's voice bounced as pretty as chimes in the wind.

Mahiru was still pretty, smile lines well worn into her face. She looked well. Hiyoko was happy for her.

"So what's been up with you?" She asked. So Mahiru told her about her struggles in following her mom's path as a photographer, before finding her true calling elsewhere. And when she mentioned a significant other or two, Hiyoko barely flinched. Mahiru wasn't hers anymore, and Hiyoko is glad for the person she grew into-- they grew into-- because of it.

It was the start of a great night.

\--

Ibuki violently slung an arm over her shoulder and pointed. "Guess who's here?" Hiyoko barely stumbled from the weight, used to it by now. Ibuki was the person she kept in touch with most after high school.

"You?" It was hard to keep down a smile.

"Yes! Well- no, but. Look." Ibuki nudged her head across the room.

Mikan.

"Oh," it came breathlessly.

"Yeah."

They both looked at her, at Mikan. Saw the way she openly laughed without even holding a hand over her mouth. Her hair was shorter, now. All neat and tidy in a bob. From what Hiyoko could see, the heavy bags under her eyes couldn't hide the utter content shining from mellow, purple eyes.

Mikan's grown too.

"Oh. Oh... wow. It's really her," Hiyoko repeated. She couldn't look away.

"You should go talk to her." Ibuki said, shaking her gently by the shoulders. And suddenly guilt weighed down on her. She was such an asshole in high school, and Mikan faced the brunt of her vitriol. No wonder her classmates were shocked, they had every right to be. They-

"Hiyoko." Ibuki was shaking her shoulder more insistently. "Hiyoko."

"I know," she couldn't look at her, and couldn't stand being seen herself in that moment.

After a pause, Ibuki bumped their bodies together playfully. Hiyoko bumped back.

"Want a drink? All this gloomy stuff is making me thirsty." Her grin was wide. Hiyoko sighed.

"Yeah. I could use some courage right now, anyway."

\--

So, yeah. She had a few more shots than she planned to. At least she was able to put her big girl pants on and adult finally.

"Hey, Mikan? I feel like we need to talk."

The old Mikan would've flinched and cowered. This Mikan paused for a bit, before turning to face her.

"It's... nice to see you, Hiyoko. What would you like to talk about." Her tone was polite, and just this side of clipped. Hiyoko, that tipsy, didn't notice how Mikan's hands gripped the slightest bit tighter on her red solo cup, but she didn't need to. Talking to a high school bully would be uncomfortable for anyone.

"I... I'd just like to apologize for my behavior towards you, in high school." Mikan didn't say anything, but her eyes burned. Hiyoko ran a hand through her hair (which took her hours to do) and sighed. "Like, I was a grade-a asshole. I was a shitty person going through a shitty time in my life, and I just dumped that all on you. So, yeah, this was long overdue and I'm sorry you had to deal with that coming from me. Thought I, I'd just say this."

Her face burned. She forced her eyes off the floor and looked at Mikan.

"You know, I started to hate you." Mikan stated plainly. Hiyoko held back a wince, because, fair. She'd hate her too. Maybe even punch little her in the face.

Yet Mikan was smiling. It was a little pitying, though for who, Hiyoko couldn't tell. "I used to expect hate. Then, when someone showed me love, I started to wonder why people hated me rather than why I wasn't enough for them, for you.

I went to therapy, and grew. I got a supportive friend, then girl friend and we've been happily living together for two years now," at this, Mikan starts messing with a black ring on her finger. "Her loving me started to teach me about loving myself, too. How to learn to. And yet I dreaded coming back here. Even with how happy I am with my life now, I didn't want to go back to the place that reminded me of the worst period of my life. Where I was tormented either by you, or by the loneliness of not finding my place here for the longest time.

(Hiyoko flinched, eyes stinging. She deserved this.)

"I even cheered when I saw you run out of the classroom crying one day. I loved every day that you didn't come to school and praied you didn't come the next. I was disgusted, but still so relieved every time I didn't see you in the classroom.

"But after high school, therapy, and years of healing, I started to care less. I didn't even have time to care about past hurts with how fast past shifts are in the hospital. I moved on.

(Hiyoko looked at Mikan's face, finally meeting her eyes.)

"I have a life I couldn't have even dreamed of when I was young. And this apology made me really happy. Thank you, Hiyoko."

Her eyes were warm, compassionate. She used to think Mikan was an idiot for being so kind, so thoughtful. Especially to someone like her.

"Thank _you_ ," Hiyoko wanted to say. The lump in her throat overwhelmed her, though. Suddenly, she was sobbing. Suddenly, she was in Mikan's arms, with a gentle hand rubbing her back.

Suddenly, Hiyoko felt truly free from past hurts. She's grown past them.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this all in one sitting, unedited, because apperently I had a lot of feelings about Hiyoko. Posting on my phone was a special kind of hell tho.
> 
> I just might make this into a series! Either way, thanks for reading and I hoped you've enjoyed this.


End file.
